Hair loss and thinning hair has almost always been a problem for many men. Genetics is the main cause of male pattern baldness and up until only a few decades ago there were very few options for treatment. There are less aggressive treatments like light therapy and FDA approved oral medications to protect the hair follicle and stimulate new hair growth. These and other remedies have been tried with varying levels of success. A surgical option with very high positive results is hair plugs. This treatment was developed more than 50 years ago.
The first modern hair transplants were performed by dermatologist Norman Orentreich in New York. These first transplants were fairly primitive and were quite noticeable. This is because each hair plug was about two to four millimeters in size and when transplanted in the hair line or on the crown of the head gave the scalp a speckled appearance.
In the 1980’s, advances in micro-surgery allowed donor plugs or strips to be divided into smaller grafts. Implanting smaller plugs allowed for a more natural appearance. In 1995, a technique to implant individual hair follicles was developed by Drs. Bernstein and Rassman. This method was less dramatic on the donor and transplant area as one or two follicles were removed and then implanted at a time instead of larger plugs of scalp. This surgery is often performed only under local anesthetic and the patient is able to walk out of the office immediately following the procedure.
Over recent years, this individual follicle transplantation has improved even further. Surgeons have begun to focus not only on the types and amounts of hair plugs, but also the angle and direction of the graft. This make the transplanted hair grow in a more natural pattern. These improvements and others have made hair plugs a very attractive option for many men.
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